Beauty and the Mess
by DevilCuriosity
Summary: He plunged back into her life like a burning flame. She remembered his smile as if she had seen him just yesterday and yet, here he was in front of her. Warm to the touch, soft to the kiss. But what of Baralai? Two years can change a lot of things. What, then, does she know in her heart of hearts to be true?
1. Prologue & Sky Dreams

_I was just guessing at numbers and figures,_

_pulling the puzzles apart._

_Questions of science, science and progress_

_do not speak as loud as my heart._

_Tell me you love me, come back and haunt me,_

_oh and I rush to the start._

_Running in circles, chasing our tails,_

_coming back as we are._

Coldplay - The Scientist

* * *

_**Prologue**_

She jumped out of the lift and dashed toward the edge of the deck. She collapsed on all fours, her fingers splayed across the decorated floor, breathless. She began panting uncontrollably as she stared at the colors in the ground. The purples and pinks and blues swirled at an alarming speed as her eyes attempted to catch one color to hold on to. Her mind was intoxicated with images she never wanted to see a second time.

After a few minutes of physical strain, she looked up at the shrouded horizon and felt tears trail down her face, blurring her view into a misty haze. As the cold breeze touched her and blew short strands of hair out of the way, the fall of tears continued their endless streak, refusing to let the wind dry whatever wetness tinged her skin. Once she exhausted the last of her energy, she inhaled another breath and lifted herself onto her knees. She continued to stare blankly into the clouds that surrounded the airship's deck.

In this brief moment of realization, Yuna knew that she was reaching the end.

He was never coming back.

* * *

**Chapter 1**

_**Sky Dreams**_

"I love you, you know that?" He said as he watched her shuffle under the multiple layers of clothing he draped over her in the middle of the night. Once she managed to untangle herself from the knot of layers, she yawned and looked up at him with a smile.

"I know," she said. "I love-"

Her voice trailed off as it was suddenly absorbed into the Macalanian surrounding. A muted silence permeated the atmosphere and even though she felt the cool night breeze and could see the faint movement of his golden hair blow in wayward directions, she could hear nothing. She looked at him in shock and panic when she saw the corners of his mouth pull down in a frown. He looked at her longingly, reaching out to her, and she leaned toward him with an outstretched limb as she tried to catch his hand. As she curled her fingers around his hand, she felt an odd sensation of the emptiness in her grip but immediately dismissed it because she knew she had caught his hand and that was all that mattered.

But she was a millisecond too late.

Within the blink of an eye, her hand had fallen onto the soft layer of metallic leaves that covered the forest ground. She watched the scene unfold before her eyes, frozen in shock. He was fading into the shimmer of pyreflies that formed near the center of the spring. She screamed in horror, only to discover that she couldn't hear her own voice because of the deafening silence. He drifted further away from her now, his expression still one of sadness and longing, his hand still extended out to her. As his outline continued to fade into the cloud of light, she ran toward him in the center of the spring, her hand outstretched, determined to close the growing distance between them.

"_TIDUS!_" She screamed as his figure grew dimmer by the second. "_**TIDUS!**_"

She continued to scream, desperation seizing her emotions as the silence continued to tug at her lungs and drown out each of her senses. She mouthed his name in utter silence, the horror of her inability to communicate pulling her further back into darkness. She held out her hand in hopes of reaching him one last time but the edges of everything in her view began to ebb away, the picture blurring into a haze of colors, as if it were all a dream. Before she knew it, she was looking through the eyes of blackness.

She waited as the darkness thickened around her. Moments passed before she felt the intended effects of the sudden nothingness. She felt dizzy, as if she were being thrown around. It then felt like she was falling at an increasing speed, losing control altogether...

Just as her panic levels reached their peak, she woke in cold sweat and felt her senses shoved back into her, much like the contents of an overflowing closet that no longer had enough room to hold so many items. Yuna buried her head in her hands for a moment and then dropped her arms and looked around. She was breathing heavily, making sure that she still had a pulse somewhere in her body. The nerves in her head were throbbing but she managed to gain enough consciousness to realize where she was. There were extra beds beside the one she slept in and as she looked up, she could see the sky flutter aimlessly through the glass ceiling.

In another instant, comprehension flooded through her as she realized that what she had just seen was nothing but a nightmare. Still, the warmth of his touch and the sound of his voice rang loud all around her. It seemed too real and yet, it was only a dream. At this moment in time, she was on the Celsius and Buddy had probably found a new hotspot for another mission.

_It was... nothing but a dream_, she thought. The image of his face came to mind again, his touch still lingering on her skin.

_Damnit._ She dropped her arms onto the soft cushion of the bed, exhausted with frustration. The cabin was quiet and the only thing she heard was the ventilation system humming softly downstairs. She figured that everyone else was probably on the bridge.

"Where are you?" She whispered to herself a moment later. She looked around the cabin again, noting the sudden wave of emotions that began to smother her. She could feel that daunting sense of loneliness creeping back up on her. "I need you right now," she said lifelessly, alone in the cabin.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

I love love _love _FFX-2. There was a powerful play of themes behind this sequel and I wanted to highlight a lot of that. The idea that people from the past are always somehow connected to those in the future can mean so many things. I'm hoping this will turn out the way I originally envisioned it to be.

I've decided to use Coldplay as a musical/symbolic backdrop for most of the emotional stuff. Whenever you see a set of lyrics at the top of a chapter, there is a section within that chapter that ties in with the lyrics somehow. I would've put in lyrics from other places but a Coldplay theme sounded nice at the time.

This story has gone through several revisions and this will be the final one. I originally started off posting chunks of this story at a time but now I will periodically update with a couple of chapters here and there. And I've decided to change the title for old time's sake.

Reviews are most welcomed.


	2. Djose

**Chapter 2**

_**Djose**_

When Yuna realized Tidus wasn't coming back, she decided to start over. She figured that spending time with the people she had left to love in her life was a good thing, so she packed her only sack and left Besaid to join the Gullwings and become a sphere huntress. They traveled all over Spira, met some of the most fascinating people, and woke up each morning knowing that Sin was forever destroyed. There was nothing epic to fret over, save the next group of hunters who blocked the path to another undiscovered sphere.

And as much as she avoided making a huge deal of it, Yuna knew that there was only one intention and sole objective for her travels as a sphere hunter: to find the person who so closely resembled the one she had loved and lost two years ago.

Inside the bridge, Buddy leapt out of his navigation seat and stretched his arms with a sigh. He walked over to Rikku, who finally stood still after running in circles around the bridge floor. She stopped to look at Paine and Shinra in fascination as they buried their heads in the commsphere network, giggling and whispering to each other.

"What's the matter with those two?" Buddy asked, amused to see two of Spira's most sarcastic people giggling with each other. He figured that their humor would be nowhere near Rikku's comprehension level - or anyone else's for that matter.

"I don't know," Rikku replied, suspicious. "They've been acting like that since we got on the airship. That commsphere network Shinra made must be entertaining?" She didn't bother looking in Buddy's direction but continued to stare at the two who were still at it.

"Yeah, that's probably it," Buddy laughed. "There are a lot of citizens in Spira who have no idea that we can see them through the network, so I wouldn't be surprised if they caught someone being stupid."

After another minute of observation, Rikku stomped her foot down in frustration. Their voices were more muffled now than they were minutes ago. All the secrecy was getting to her. "You two better stop it!" She yelled helplessly, raising a finger in their direction, only to get more giggles and whispers as they immersed themselves in whatever it was they were looking at.

Just then, the portal gate to the bridge opened and Yuna strolled in casually. She hopped over the rail and landed soundlessly onto the space next to Buddy.

"What's up?" She asked, her eyes immediately drawn to the backs of Paine and Shinra.

"Rikku's fascinated by the comedy that Paine and Shinra have apparently found in his commsphere network," Buddy said. "Not sure what they're looking at exactly, but it's gotta be hilarious for them to be laughing that hard. They're actually giggling." He now stared in disbelief at what he was seeing.

"Looks like Rikku's gonna hurt them," Yuna laughed. She looked over at Rikku, whose stare began to look somewhat malicious now that her frustration blew over. She was walking dangerously slow toward the two who were beginning to lose their composure.

"Are you okay? Is everything alright?" Buddy asked a moment later as he turned himself around to face her. The smile that once adorned his face was now replaced with a look of genuine concern.

"Huh?" Yuna was distracted by the comical picture of Rikku attempting to butt into the giggles of Paine and Shinra. "Oh," she said, the thought of what had happened earlier finally coming back to her. "Oh, yeah," she began, "I... I'll be fine. I just needed a nap, that's all."

Buddy looked at her, making sure she was as okay as her words implied. After a moment, he turned back in the direction of Shinra and Paine.

"I'll take your word for it," he said.

Buddy was never one to push the boundaries of human composure. If someone didn't want to cry a river in front of him, he was perfectly okay with that. In fact, he preferred as little emotion as was possible in these situations.

"So," he began, "any idea where we want to go next?"

"Hm," she mused, thankful for his ability to let things go. "Are you getting any distress signals from anywhere in particular?"

"I'll check that out in a sec," he replied. "But I was thinking that we could stop by Djose Temple and check up on the faction, just in case they need any help with fiend control."

"That sounds good," she said, ready to get things moving again.

"Besides," Buddy concluded, a smirk adorning his face, "Gippal's ego is bigger than his head, so he probably wouldn't have asked for our help even though he needed it." He chuckled to himself as he made a farewell gesture to her before heading back to his navigation seat.

Yuna moved toward what was now a threesome; Rikku had apparently joined in on the joke and beckoned a hand for her cousin to come and see what was going on.

"Hey, guys?" Yuna asked, ignoring Rikku's invitation. "We're heading to Djose Temple." She pulled away from the threesome and headed toward the sphere map.

"What's going on in Djose?" Brother asked as he pulled himself out of the hole under his driver's seat and turned to face Yuna. Everyone's attention eventually fell on the former summoner as Paine, Rikku and Shinra turned around and stood quiet, waiting for the details.

"Buddy wanted to see if Gippal needed a hand with fiend control in the temple. We could use the gil." She looked at everyone nonchalantly just as Buddy got out of his seat and walked over to stand beside her.

"Yep, and it looks like we're heading there anyway," he confirmed. "I'm not getting any other distress signals so we've got some time to help out at Djose. Are we going?"

"I could use a little fiend control now that you mention it," Paine said, her face serious again, all traces of humor completely gone. Shinra nodded silently beside her.

"Why do we always have to help that idiot out?" Rikku suddenly asked, breaking the synchronization of everyone's thoughts in the room. Brother winced before responding to his sister's remark.

"Didn't you hear what Yuna just said?" He asked, his tone authoritative. "We could use the gil!"

Yuna smiled at her cousin, hoping she would heed Brother's words just this once.

"Oh, alright," the Al-Bhed girl said, throwing her hands up in the air in defeat. "Fine. Let's go to Djose."

In an instant, Brother leapt back into his driver's seat and revved up the airship's engines.

"Alright, Gullwings!" He said excitedly, "We are going to Djose."

* * *

The Celsius arrived in Djose just before sunset. After what seemed like a lifetime of hopelessly attempting to convince Gippal that they were just there to help, he finally gave in. After the temple was cleared of fiends, the Gullwings decided to stay at Djose before their next destination.

That night, an endless pile of wooden logs continued to feed a massive fire in the central grounds just outside the temple doors. There were a crew of diggers that had come back from the Eastern Expanse and huddled together in a corner. Their voices were gruff and husky as they laughed over the day's finds. Yuna sat on one of the many logs that surrounded the fireside and stared into the sputtering flames.

"Thanks for the help," a familiar voice said.

She looked over her shoulder to see Gippal seat himself comfortably beside her, all while keeping the plate of food steady in his hands. After he thanked her, he immediately began scarfing down the food in his hands. She could do nothing but stare at him, her appetite somewhat discouraged. His good looks had apparently rendered his messy habits a long stretch. And after she found out that Rikku and him "made quite the couple," she had a hard time picturing Gippal as a romantic. Then again, there would only be one other person to stuff her face just as uncontrollably as he did and that would've been Rikku. As he finished his last bite, he wiped his mouth and hands clean with a napkin and then placed the disposables on the ground beside his foot. He took a deep breath and nodded in satisfaction to himself.

"You know," he began, now looking at her, "I never thought someone like you would become a sphere hunter."

Yuna looked at him, both puzzled and somewhat irritated. He had a few problems with fitting her into the mold that everyone else in Spira had done. To them, she would always be the young, precious, _naive_ Summoner Yuna.

"Someone like me?" She asked a moment later, trying to keep her tone light.

"Yeah," he smiled. "You're a celebrity now, aren't you? People crawl all over you. Becoming a sphere hunter and traveling all over Spira with your buddies must be a real change."

"It is," she said. She was careful with her next words. "I'm looking for something, which is why I became a sphere hunter." She diverted her gaze to one of the diggers as he threw another log into the fire and the blaze sputtered to life again.

"I'm not judging you," Gippal said. "To be honest, you're not the snobby celebrity that I thought you were. Of course, I've never met you before so I only assumed."

She look at him again and could see him grinning in the firelight. She smiled, all traces of irritation gone.

"So you two were quite the couple, huh?" She asked a moment later, eyes darting from him to Rikku, eager to change the subject. Gippal looked over at Rikku, who kept bugging Paine about telling her a secret. They took a moment to watch her in all her persistence.

"Rikku was always good for a laugh," he said reflectively, already forgetting the previous topic of conversation. "I kinda miss her."

"What happened?"

"Nothing, actually. I never got along with Brother and he kept interfering with us. After a while, we both got tired of it and decided that it was probably easier to stay friends. It's been that way ever since." He laughed. "Besides, I don't think Rikku would've stuck around for the machina faction, it's too boring for her."

Yuna smiled as she glanced over at her cousin. Rikku eventually exhausted herself and now stood quietly behind Paine. She had always been there for Yuna, through everything. The thought of her staying in one place for a long time was impossible to imagine. All her energy would have been wasted.

"I bet Brother's all over you, isn't he?" Gippal chuckled, interrupting her thoughts and steering the subject back to her again. Yuna blushed and looked at the ground in embarrassment. To begin to think of how wrong it was for her cousin to show a romantic interest in her would only lead to more humility. Fortunately, Rikku saved her from what began to become an awkward silence when she ran over to them.

"Stop bugging her," Rikku said as her eyes darted suspiciously from Yuna to Gippal. "And what were you guys talking about?"

"_Nothing_, Rikku." Gippal laughed hysterically as he tackled Rikku to the ground.

Yuna managed to slip away unnoticed as the two continued to wrestle each other. She walked over to Paine, who was starring at the night sky. As she stood beside her, she looked up into the black canopy dotted with glittering stars. She could see why Paine refused to see anything else tonight. The sky was mesmerizing.

The stay at Djose was a reminder of the night she spent sending all of the lost souls of Operation Mi'ihen to the Farplane. The sky that night looked just as bright. She remembered how melancholic those two days felt; the spirit of Spira was laden with so much hopelessness, just waiting for Sin's next catastrophic destruction. It was a dreadful wave of doom that kept weighing her down, insisting that she give up and lose the battle. But as sad as those memories seemed, she felt like smiling all the same. The feeling of being here in peace tonight was beyond anything she could've ask for.

She pulled the ragged thrower that conveniently hung itself over the marble rail she had been leaning against and threw it over herself and Paine. The warrior sphere huntress draped an arm over Yuna and held her close, silence enveloping them in its tranquility. And as they looked up and marveled at the many more stars that seemed to illuminate the velvet sky, the chatter of voices continued to carry on through the night.

And as Yuna looked into the sky, she saw his face smiling back at her.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

I'm giving a little more humanity to Yuna's life after Sin. Despite whatever threats are left in Spira, nothing now will ever be as fatal as Sin. I also wanted to establish a connection with the new characters in X-2. Awesome people like Gippal and Buddy and Paine. I love them!


	3. Coming Home

_Oh, I'm gonna buy this place and start a fire._

_Stand here until I fill all your heart's desires._

_Because I'm gonna buy this place and see it burn,_

_and do back the things they did to you in return._

_So meet me by the bridge, meet me by the lane._

_When am I gonna see that pretty face again?_

Coldplay - A Rush Of Blood To The Head

* * *

**Chapter 3**

_**Coming Home**_

It was a gloomy and restless afternoon. The sky was a cloudless gray and rain poured down on the city as the storm flooded everything in its wake. He ran after her, soaked in his own tears and the mercilessly cold rain. She continued down the sidewalk without notice, wiping the water in her eyes every now and again while clutching onto her sack.

"WAIT!" He screamed.

She stopped dead in her tracks, unwilling to turn around.

"HOW CAN YOU DO THIS? HOW CAN YOU THROW US AWAY LIKE THIS?" He said. "TELL ME! I DON'T UNDERSTAND YOU!" He had never yelled so fiercely in his life until now.

And although his words were broken by the clatter of rain, she could pick out every word. More tears streaked her face as she dropped her belongings and turned around.

"DON'T YOU SEE? I DON'T HAVE A CHOICE! WHY WON'T YOU LET ME GO? IF I DON'T LEAVE, WE'LL BOTH DIE!" She screamed back. "HOW CAN YOU BE SO BLIND?" She clenched her fists in the hopes of numbing the pain.

She had to do this. It was the only way to save her world and she couldn't do it with love. Love was too much. The warmth and intimacy she knew with him was too much. She had to be ruthless and force an unthinkable truth on him whether or not he agreed. Pieces of her shattered inside when she looked at him and saw the resentful sadness in his eyes, the tears and the anger that gnawed at him. It wasn't fair, not now, not ever.

"I WON'T LET YOU DO THIS, LENNE!" He yelled in protest. "YOU'RE GOING TO DIE FOR A WORTHLESS CAUSE! NO ONE WILL TAKE THE BLAME AND YOU'LL DIE FOR THEIR MISTAKES!" He fell to his knees in exhaustion.

Lenne immediately dropped her sack and raced over to him, cupping his face in her hands. It was too late to turn back now; she wouldn't be able to let go of him a second time.

"I love you!" He panted. "I can't lose you! Damnit, I can't!"

The rain poured down harder, flooding the city in its misery. Lenne looked into the desperate eyes of her lover and kissed him forcefully, refusing to let the miserable state of the weather ruin the only good thing in her life. They stood there in the middle of the sidewalk, arms wrapped tightly around each other, unable to let go. They were hopeless without each other. There was no way they could walk away now, it was too late. As they spent the last of their energy, they slowly pulled away just far enough to look at each other.

"Shuyin, I have to do this," she said, her voice shaking.

Shuyin refused to look at her and instead kept his gaze fixed to the sidewalk floor.

"Damnit, Lenne," he said after a moment, readjusting himself to sit on the edge of the sidewalk. "Don't you see what they're doing to you? Do you think they care if you live or die? This is a war of hatred, it's always been that way. Why don't you see that?" He flashed a scolding glance at Lenne and finally looked at her. She looked at the ground now, wiping the water out of her eyes. He shifted closer and tore the hand away from her face.

"Look at me," he said. He lifted her chin up as she looked at him. Her eyes were bloodshot, from the crying and the cold rain that continued to bite at her bare skin, making her sick. He immediately threw his arms around her and held her close. After a few minutes, he let go.

She seemed more lifeless by the second as she sat there and looked at him. There were no more words she could say that would comfort him. There was nothing left.

"Please, Lenne," he said desperately, "look at me and tell me you're fighting for something. You know this isn't right and you've known it since the beginning. You and I aren't stupid. We're the only ones who aren't blinded by the corruption and hatred that's gotten a hold of everyone else."

"I... have... to do-" Lenne collapsed before she could finish the sentence. Shuyin caught her just in time as he frantically examined her. He knew they had been in the rain for too long.

"There's nothing to worry about," he said as he looked at her one last time. "I'm taking you home." He mustered all the strength he had left and carried her back to the apartment.

After setting a fire that blazed in the room, the place finally managed to shut the cold out. Lenne was set on a long couch, sound asleep. Shuyin sat below her on the ground, leaning against the side of the couch. He was exhausted but he wasn't finished with the matter. This war couldn't take the only person he had ever loved in his life. As he starred into the flames, his eyes burned with resolve. His fists clenched as his thoughts got the best of him. Alas, he came to a resolution.

"They can't have you," he said quietly. "They just can't have you."

* * *

Yuna had been having too many dreams lately. All of it connected to her search for Tidus... and Shuyin. The Gullwings had also realized that because of Yuna's songstress dressphere, she was able to see Lenne's past and actually get inside Lenne's psyche. Sphere waves had carried emotions and memories across generations and Yuna was the recipient of this transference.

After Djose, they had decided to go to Besaid to celebrate the arrival of Wakka and Lulu's newborn. Yuna couldn't wait to see little Vidina, the child of her two former guardians, both of whom she would have never guessed would become parents. Regardless, it was refreshing to know that life still blossomed in a place she considered to be somewhat forgotten by the rest of the world. It wasn't until she realized how beautiful and timeless Besaid was that she began to appreciate it and consider it sacred rather than forgotten. It was where she grew up and became a summoner. It was where she met _him_. It was the beginning of a journey that marked the history books of Spira. Above all, it was home. There was no place like home.

While Paine and Rikku occupied themselves with Buddy's tutorial on navigational tips and tricks, Yuna looked at the sphere map located in the center of the bridge. She looked around at the islands that surrounded Besaid and started to feel a little homesick. Shinra approached her and stood silent for a while, observing her reaction.

"Care to tell me about Besaid?" He interrupted after a moment. "Although I have to say how disappointed I was when I discovered the existence of technology on that island, or lack thereof really."

Yuna laughed and drew her head out of the map to face Shinra.

"It's true, " she began. "You tend to lose a sense of time and responsibility in Besaid. There's rarely any technology around the island because people there claim that it would ruin their peaceful lives. You can't blame them, can you?" She smiled. "And to be honest, I can't wait till we arrive. I think I'm actually homesick."

"Being homesick after numerous trips to your hometown?" Shinra asked, more to himself than to her. "Interesting," concluded the wunderkind. He then buried his head into the sphere map to look at what Yuna was previously exploring. After seconds of scanning the island he began to theorize.

"Ooooh," he said. "With such a remote location, Besaid looks like a perfect spot for clear reception on my commsphere network. If I were to set up a network on the island, there would be no interference whatsoever." He was gleeful. "Finally! Demographics are treating my technology with the reception it deserves, heheh."

"That sounds like a good idea," said Yuna.

"Huh?" Replied Shinra, his head still glued halfway inside the holographic map.

"It's time we give Besaid a taste of Shinra's technology, right?" She smiled.

"You betcha." As he pulled his head out of the sphere map and made his way back to his station, he sang one of two chants that he used whenever something made him exuberant.

"_Gullwings, GO! La-la-la-la-la. Gullwings, FIGHT! La-la-la-laaaaa..._"

As she watched Shinra plant himself back into his seat, Yuna sighed and looked at the map one last time. She then moved her eyes to Brother, who had been driving for the past three hours without uttering a word to anyone. Her attention suddenly steered to her two fellow sphere hunters, whose conversation started to become louder than usual.

"Let it go, Rikku," Paine said, irritated. "I'm not telling you now and I won't tell you tomorrow. In fact, because you've been so persistent in nagging me, I might not tell you at all." She folded her arms over her chest in a victorious smirk. For the millionth time, Rikku begged her to explain how she knew Gippal, Baralai and Nooj. Paine nodded in disbelief and walked over to Yuna, leaving Rikku to sigh in defeat and drag behind.

"Staying here is killing me. Are we there yet?" Asked Paine.

"We are," replied Buddy. "Gullwings, get ready for a landing. We have arrived at Besaid."

* * *

**Author's Note:**

I wanted to share more between Shuyin and Lenne than what was shared in the game, just cause their relationship was so heartbreaking. To love someone and then lose them to a war (or something of the sort) is tragic. It's no shock that Shuyin went maniacal and wanted to strangle the world in his misery. Also, I had to put Shinra's little song in there because it's so awesome. Why don't our whiz kids look like him? Hmph.


	4. Conversations

_For you I'd wait 'til kingdom come,_

_until my day, my day is done._

_And say you'll come and set me free,_

_just say you'll wait, you'll wait for me._

Coldplay - 'Til Kingdom Come

* * *

**Chapter 4**

_**Conversations**_

As soon as the Celsius landed, Rikku ran straight into the village, hoping to get the first look at Vidina before anyone else could do so. Datto ran up to Yuna just as the rest of the Gullwings got off the Celsius.

"Yuna!" He said excitedly. "You've gotta see Wakka's kid! He already looks like a mini version of Wakka, ya?"

Yuna could feel her nerves tingle at the thought of seeing this baby and celebrating his new life. It was so fantastic to be back home! Her homesickness had hit her harder than she had thought. When everyone saw her run after Datto into the village, Shinra stood next to Paine with wires and electronic nubs in both hands.

"Heheheh," he giggled mischievously, running off behind Yuna.

"What's gotten into them?" Paine asked as she looked over at Buddy, who looked even more clueless.

"Who knows," he shrugged, rubbing his stomach uncomfortably. "Let's go, I'm starving."

As Yuna followed behind Datto and entered one of the huts, she saw the entire Besaid Aurochs blitzball team surrounding the baby and his mother. Lulu beamed in excitement when she caught sight of Yuna just as Wakka approached out of thin air.

"Yuna! You made it!" Wakka said in all his heartiness. "It's time Vidina met someone very special to us, ya?" He smiled and beckoned for her to sit by Lulu. Keepa and Jassu quickly moved out of the way to let her in. Yuna beamed when she finally caught sight of little Vidina, who smiled and waved his tiny hands in response.

"Oh, he's so beautiful, Lulu," Yuna said, smitten by the life that was being cradled in her former guardian's arms.

"Would you like to hold him?" Lulu asked. Yuna couldn't refuse and before she knew it, she was holding the newborn in her arms.

As she took in all of his beauty, she couldn't believe it. He was so small, so precious and somehow, he was larger than life. Her heart skipped a beat when he beamed at her and raised his little hand to feel out the contours of her face. He seemed to make the rest of the world disappear around her as they looked at each other. And for a split second, Yuna was mesmerized by the thought of motherhood. The thought of bringing another life into the world and caring for it with all her love. Every negative thought she had harbored within the past two years had disappeared within these past 15 seconds as she starred into the baby's glittering eyes.

After a few minutes of cooing and giggling with Vidina, Yuna gently handed him back to Lulu. The blitzball team had began to clear out, leaving the former summoner and guardian to themselves.

"How's the sphere hunting coming along?" Lulu asked as soon as the last blitzball player exited the hut.

"It's been great," Yuna said. "Everyday is an adventure and I'm really enjoying it." She looked at Lulu as the mage rocked back and forth on her heels, cradling Vidina to sleep.

"But something doesn't seem right," Lulu said as she smiled at her baby.

Yuna had always known how well Lulu perceived things, especially when it came to her. When Tidus came into the picture she was the first to notice their connection. It was always Lulu who she felt safe with; she was one of the few people who understood how deeply Yuna felt for Tidus, even though she said nothing of it.

"I didn't become a sphere hunter just to have a good time," Yuna said on impulse. Lulu raised her head and looked at her former summoner now. "Traveling with friends has been amazing but I actually started this journey because-"

"You wanted to find him," interrupted Lulu.

"Yeah," Yuna said quietly, her gaze now lingering on the ground before her.

When she really thought about it, this search was getting hopeless now that she knew who Shuyin was. He wasn't Tidus. In a sense, she almost felt embarrassed for having gone through all this just to look for him. What if he never really existed? That was a thought she refused to accept. But whenever she thought of her visions and dreams of Lenne and Shuyin, something inside her changed. This search wasn't without purpose; there was something out there. Whether it was the one she loved or a simple revelation, she was motivated enough to search for it.

She was momentarily distracted when she saw Lulu glide across the room and over to the crib as she placed little Vidina to sleep. She then made her way over to the couch and sat down beside Yuna.

"Yuna, what is it?" Lulu asked, concern adorning her elegant face. The sphere hunter smiled at her former guardian rather uneasily.

"There are a lot of things... that I've discovered recently," Yuna said. "It's changed my mind about everything." She could see Lulu's thoughtful expression from the corner of her eye and the mage took a moment to think before she responded.

"I don't mean to promote an idea of false hope," Lulu began, "but if the fayth still exist, he might still be alive. Have you ever thought about that?" She peered into Yuna's eyes, her gaze relentless but loving. "Keep to your search," she concluded. "You never know what you might find. There is always hope, no matter how grim the situation might be."

"Yeah, I understand," Yuna said coolly. Her attention was suddenly diverted when she heard someone call her from outside. She exchanged glaces with Lulu as they shrugged cluelessly.

"Yuna? _YUNA!_"

The familiar voice was coming from Brother. Yuna ran outside but found no one in the village. She heard Brother call her name again and followed in the direction of his voice. The Gullwings were gathered near the save sphere just outside the entry gates to the village. Something was wrong.

"Yuna! Come quick!" Brother shouted. When she came close enough, Buddy pulled her into what looked like a huddle.

"What's the matter?" Yuna asked nervously.

"Vegnagun is nowhere to be found," Paine said grimly.

"What do you mean?" She asked, now horrified.

"Remember how we snuck into the depths of Bevelle? We noticed that Vegnagun was missing, but we thought that someone moved it to another location," Rikku said informatively.

"But Shinra and I just checked out a load of data we received when he managed to compile information regarding what happened 1,000 years ago between Shuyin and Lenne, thanks to Maechen," Buddy said.

"We realized that it didn't make sense for Vegnagun to move from one place to another. Where else could it move? It's massive. Bevelle's underground was the deepest known location any machina of that multitude could be housed in," Shinra concluded.

"No..." Yuna said quietly. She took a minute to think of all the possible things that might happen because of this.

Would Spira be under attack again? Was this a universal threat after just two years of peace? It couldn't be. She knew of the tragedy that occurred between Shuyin and Lenne but she had no idea that his resentment would trail on a thousand years later. It was insane and it seemed illogical but if it were true, it would be a real problem. There was, however, one solution that came to mind. She realized that Lenne never had the chance to truly tell Shuyin how she felt. Almost every time Yuna put on the songstress dressphere, some part of Lenne appeared in her. If she could just let Shuyin know how much Lenne loved him, there would be a response.

"I need to talk to Shuyin," Yuna said after a moment later. Everyone looked at her as if she were Vegnagun itself.

"Are you crazy? You want to get yourself killed?" Asked Brother, horrified at the thought.

"No, no, no! You guys don't get it," Rikku interrupted. "Yunie's got a point. Remember the songstress dressphere? Lenne's emotions and thoughts are still contained in it. If Yunie put on that dressphere and came face-to-face with Vegnagun, it would have to stop. Isn't Shuyin the only one that can control it?"

"Yeah, but that's still risky," Paine said. "Although Lenne _is _the reason why he's doing all this. Yuna was right: it was too late before she could tell him how she really felt. If she could face him, it might change everything."

The words of Rikku and Paine made sense and everyone heard it. But they also knew that there needed to be another plan - a main plan, using the talking as back up in case something went wrong. They broke out of the huddle and sighed. This was going to take some serious thinking and there was no time to waste.

"We should get going," Buddy said a minute later. "We plan our moves before doing anything else. Yuna, you should let Wakka and Lulu know."

Yuna nodded in agreement and ran back into the village to give her sudden farewell.

* * *

Yuna couldn't fall asleep that night as she tossed and turned restlessly. She managed to lie still a few minutes later as she starred into the dark sky through the airship's glass ceiling. And then she started thinking.

_It was only a few weeks ago when I saw that Kilika sphere. I couldn't take it. I ran out of the bridge and everyone saw how emotionally unprepared I was. I couldn't believe Shuyin was you and I was right. But now this? I have to worry about the world once more? Would there ever be time to focus on what I wanted? I've already gotten myself involved, but still._

She was angry. She could hear Barkeep cleaning up downstairs. This was all wrong. The world would still be in danger even if she pulled herself out of the trouble. But she had all the information and knew what had to be done. Despite the anger, she was also grateful the threat of Vegnagun went unheard of in the ears of the public. If word were to get out, panic would spread like a massive wildfire.

Before she knew it, her eyes were closing and her body let up. She realized how exhausted she was and after fighting off the temptation, she eventually drifted into sleep...

"Why do you always keep everything to yourself like that?" Tidus asked.

She looked away, defeated.

"I don't always pour my heart and soul out to people," she said a moment later. She felt herself tingle with embarrassment as the heat worked its way up to her now blushing cheeks. It was the first time she confessed this fact to someone and she wasn't ready for it.

"You make your perfections and faults seem as if they're a crime when they're not," he said nonchalantly as he continued. "I wanna know more about you and you keep pushing this high summoner crap on me. It's almost as if you were trying to avoid the subject." He now had his arms crossed across his chest as he raised an eyebrow at her.

She could sense the hint of frustration in his voice. He had every reason to be upset because he was right. He was special to her and he changed her life. Why was she treating him this way? Before settling with that thought, however, she was kind of irritated. Why was he angry with her? Wanting to keep things to herself was her own business, wasn't it?

"Why should you have a problem with how I keep certain things to myself?" She blurted. "Why does that matter to you? Who do you think you are?" As she said the words, the emotions flew out of her. She could see his calm and almost hurtful expression turn into one of irritation.

"You think it's a privilege to keep your feelings bottled up that way?" He asked sarcastically. "I know it hurts you even though you try to deny it. You don't think I notice it every time you talk to me? I see it in your eyes, Yuna. If you kept this going, you'd explode in no time. Why won't you just open up to me?"

Her intensifying emotions suddenly cooled down when she realized his request was more of a plea than anything else. Silence surrounded them once more. She gathered her thoughts and took a deep breath.

"I'm sorry," she said a moment later, "I'm just not used to this." She let her hands fall to her sides as she leaned back and looked at the night sky above. All while feeling the awkward burning of his stare from behind her. After a few minutes of silence, she heard the bustling of movement and realized he had seated himself down beside her. The sun would rise in a few hours but until then, the sky was a deep violet and the stars were even brighter tonight.

He suddenly laughed. She looked at him, obviously lost in translation. He continued to laugh, almost hysterically this time. As she stared at him in disbelief, a smile spread across her face and then she was giggling. They both laughed alongside each other for no apparent reason and it felt good. The laughing simmered down after a moment and the air began to compliment the soothing silence of the long night.

"It's okay," he said a moment later. "You shouldn't have to hide what you feel, you know? Let it out! It'll make you feel a lot better. And I'm here for you and you can tell me anything you want." He smiled and entangled her hand in his.

"Thanks," she smiled.

He moved closer, wrapping his arms around her tightly, making her feel safe and warm in his embrace. She remembered the glow in his eyes when he promised to stand beside her on this journey until the end, wherever it would be. And as dawn approached, both summoner and guardian sat on the grass amidst the cliff's edge and waited aimlessly for another day.

Yuna opened her eyes only to find herself blinded by darkness. Searching hopelessly for any source of light there was, she closed her eyes again and opened them once more, this time waking herself from the dream she had only a moment ago. She was still full of thought. Dawn was approaching and she was alone in the cabin. She looked up at the sky as weary clouds began to form and then sat herself upright, trying to grasp the warmth of his touch and the softness in his voice.

She wrapped her arms around her knees and hugged herself in hopes of bringing back that indescribable feeling but nothing came. She hugged herself tighter, almost hurting herself in the process but all that resulted was physical strain.

It was only a memory. A memory like everything else.

_Your words were like a dream_, she heard the voice sing. _One thousand embraces will cradle you. They'll hold you forever._

She could feel tears stream down her face as she heard the familiar tune. And as morning crept in, Yuna lay motionless in bed as she stared into the gloomy sky and refused to let go of her memories.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

Aw, Yunie. I hope Tidus comes home soon. And people have to break down once in a while to get back up again and keep moving. Also, I don't think I'll go into detail with Vegnagun; I'm only forwarding to the end because I need the story to lead to other things, as you'll see in later chapters.


	5. Loveless Defeat

**Chapter 5**

_**Loveless Defeat**_

Once everyone was gathered in the bridge, Brother asked the Gullwings for a strategy in dealing with Vegnagun. After some lengthy discussion and debate, they decided to head into the Farplane. It was the solution that made the most sense, seeing as to what Shinra had stated before: Bevelle was the only location Vegnagun could be kept in. The only other alternative was an abyss beyond the Farplane.

After witnessing the strange conversation between Nooj, Baralai and Gippal, Yuna knew both Gippal and Nooj were not enough to stop Vegnagun or more specifically, Shuyin himself. They needed more fighting power and the Gullwings had already made up their minds. Whether or not the guys accepted, Vegnagun was a big threat and they would all have to stop it one way or another.

As they wrapped up the last stages of planning, everyone was thoughtful. They were wondering what would happen once they faced a destructive force such as Vegnagun. Brother was the only one unnerved by the situation and as a result, sought to cheer his comrades before the final showdown.

"Come on, guys!" He said, cutting through the awkward silence. "We're gonna kick some ass! Let's see a little confidence, yeah?" He looked around, hoping his nervous smile would ease everyone up a bit.

Yuna smiled at him and realized he was right. This wasn't the end of Spira. It couldn't be. There were too many things left to experience.

"You're right, Brother," she said. Brother's grin widened in response as everyone looked at her in surprise and then laughed at the sudden excitement that became contagious. Shinra stood beside Brother and after a moment, ran up to Yuna and squeezed her in a hug. She spread her arms out and kneeled down to compliment his short stature and squeezed him back just as tightly.

"Be careful, Yuna," Shinra said, his voice shaking with emotion for the first time. Everyone smiled at the unusual display of sensitivity.

"You know I will," Yuna said as she pulled away and smiled. "In the meantime, keep an eye out for me, okay?"

"You betcha," Shinra said, regaining his composure and reverting back to his usual self.

"So are we gonna do this or what?" Paine asked. She could smell victory and was obviously excited to fight alongside everyone.

"You bet we are!" Rikku shouted in even more excitement. "Come on, buster! Let's get going!" She punched Brother in the back as he immediately jumped into his driver's seat.

"Alright, Gullwings!" He said. "To the Farplane, full speed ahead!"

* * *

Yuna saw the explicit look of defeat on Shuyin's face when he realized she wasn't Lenne. She could see the glow in his cerulean eyes turn black with hatred. His glare now shone with unmatched fury and he was prepared to put an end to them all, but she knew he couldn't. He was weaker than he thought. Vegnagun was already destroyed and he had nothing left to use but he continued to fight ceaselessly until he exhausted every limb in his body. His anger fueled his persistence and she was amazed. All of this because he never heard Lenne's true words to him. As she watched her last bullet fly through Shuyin, tears were streaming down her flushed cheeks. As he finally collapsed to his knees, his breathing grew rapid and hoarse.

"How could you do this to me?" Shuyin bellowed. "I can't protect her anymore!" The flames of hatred still fumed in his burning stare at Yuna.

As she prepared to plead with him one last time of Lenne's feelings, she felt a strange sensation lift from her body. Alas, Lenne's soul came out of the dressphere Yuna had on and she stood beside her, looking into Shuyin's eyes. Lenne was an inch or so taller than Yuna and her hair trailed down her backside in long, brunette waves. It all seemed so real, almost as if Lenne had come back a thousand years later to stand beside Yuna.

"... Shuyin, it's me," the spirit of the former summoner said as she proceeded toward him.

"No," he panted, "it can't be you." He was still breathing hard and looked at her like an abandoned child.

Lenne kneeled down before Shuyin and cupped his face in her hands. Yuna, Paine and Rikku saw tears stroll down his face, his eyes suddenly innocent and blue again. Then Lenne began to cry. He was still on his knees as he grabbed her and held her tightly, desperate to feel her again. She held him in her arms and both lovers stood together at last, a flurry of emotions flooding their souls as they became one. Pyreflies began to emanate from their bodies and just before they completely faded into the abyss, Lenne looked back at Yuna one last time.

"Thank you," she said, her eyes glistening with tears.

Yuna smiled knowingly, tears still finding a path down her face. She watched as both lovers faded into the depths of the Farplane, eternally reunited in peace.

And so it was done. Vegnagun was no more. As the spirit of the two lovers vanished, everyone knew it was finally time to go home.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

I wanted to give Shuyin and Lenne a proper farewell because they deserve it. And because I think Yuna needs some sort of closure now that her search for Shuyin has really ended.


	6. Together At Last

_Oh, what good is it to live with nothing left to give,_

_forget but not forgive, not loving all you see?_

_All the streets you're walking on, a thousand houses long,_

_well, that's where I belong and you belong with me._

_Yeah, you belong with me, not swallowed in the sea._

Coldplay - Swallowed In The Sea

* * *

**Chapter 6**

_**Together At Last**_

Vegnagun was defeated. The only thing left to do was explain the truth to all of Spira.

When everyone made their way back to the Celsius, Nooj, Baralai and Gippal joined in for the ride home. They gathered in the cabin as Barkeep prepared refreshments and first aid kits to the injured party members. He handed a kit to Yuna, who sat beside Baralai on one of the beds. Paine and Nooj stood on the railing beside each other. Gippal sat on the nearest bed next to Brother and Buddy and Rikku sat on another bed opposite Yuna.

"So what will we tell Spira?" Nooj asked once everyone's shuffling ceased and they all began thinking about the aftermath of Vegnagun.

"The truth," Gippal said. "They ought to know the truth, right?" He looked over at Paine as she nodded in silent agreement.

Yuna looked at Baralai, who was pale and still recovering. As everyone began to discuss what the truth would be, she tended to the praetor's injured hands. After scrutinizing them, she finally began to unravel the gauze.

"Does it hurt?" She asked.

"Only a bit," he said. "Yuna?" She looked up at him. "Thanks." He smiled and she returned it, all the while wrapping his hands in medicated gauze.

"I can't believe how it all turned out," she said as she finished wrapping. "They really loved each other." Her eyes trailed off to the window as she stared in thought. Baralai was thinking too.

They had become good friends within the past few months and he knew of her search for Tidus. After everything she had done for him and for Spira, he really hoped she would finally fulfill her own desires instead of helping everyone out like she always did.

"You still haven't found him, have you?" Baralai asked in a whisper, afraid the others might listen in.

"Before we left the glen in the Farplane, a fayth spoke to me," Yuna said. "He asked whether or not I wanted to see him and I said yes. I don't know if he lied to me or if it would really happen. The fayth said that he could make no promises but that he would do all in his power to let me see him again." She thought Baralai would burst into laughter at the thought of what she just explained, taking into consideration the disappearance of the fayth when Sin was defeated. Instead, he looked at her rather thoughtfully.

"If that's the case, then I guess you've finally found him," he said after a moment.

"How can you be so sure?"

"When Sin was defeated, the fayth stopped dreaming, correct?" She nodded and he continued. "But you can't really explain the heretic aeons that returned, so the fayth weren't entirely gone. With that in mind, they must still exist and they still have the power to dream." He looked at her as she took his words to thought. "Besides," he concluded after a moment, "it takes a truly spectacular person to make the fayth worthy of their wishes. I'd say they owe you one." He was grinning and she laughed at the sight.

"That was very scientific," she remarked.

"I try," he smiled.

Just then, Brother interrupted all conversation when he announced that Luca was an hour away.

"Thank you," Yuna said after the brief announcement.

"You're very welcome," he replied. "Though I have to say how sad I am that you won't be able to stand beside us when we finally confess what we've done. And if we end up reuniting Spira, you'd be missing out on the party." She laughed as Gippal ran over and sat himself on the other side of Baralai.

"Party? What party?" The machina faction leader asked, his curiosity piqued.

"Baralai was just telling me of the party I'd be missing after you guys reunite Spira," Yuna smiled. "I'm having second thoughts about going home now."

"OH YEAH!" Gippal exclaimed in sudden excitement. "But you know, you've gotta promise us that we'll see you again. We've gotta cruise Spira together sometime. Are you up for it, Baralai?"

"Wouldn't miss it for the world," the praetor smiled. "We make a pretty good team, don't we?"

Yuna nodded, a grin spreading across her face. Everything had suddenly felt so good. There was hope and above everything else, there were friends beside her who supported her every step of the way. This newfound circle of friends was something she truly cherished aside from her circle of guardians. It was different here; they all supported her no matter what she did. There were no questions asked and she could make all the mistakes she wanted. It was nice to know her mistakes weren't frowned upon but embraced and considered part of her natural self. And of course, this was probably because she was in the company of her peers and not her elders.

In a matter of moments, the Celsius pulled into one of Luca's docks. Everyone made their way out of the airship to say their goodbyes. As the three guys stood facing the Gullwings, Gippal spoke one last time.

"You sure you're not coming with us?" He asked. "You gonna let us have all the fun?" Everyone laughed, satisfied to see Gippal back in his spirited self as he grinned at Yuna. And then all eyes averted to the former summoner now, anxious for a response.

"I'm going home," Yuna smiled, more to herself than whoever was standing around her. She then ran up to Baralai and hugged him tightly, moving onto Gippal and Nooj afterward.

"Good luck with everything, Yuna," Nooj said as she pulled away and proceeded back to the Celsius. She turned around and smiled, waving one last goodbye at the guys. Then she speeded up the ramp of the airship and took off for Besaid.

There was no time to waste. She was going home.

* * *

Yuna's mind was swirling with anticipation. As she jumped off the ramp and splashed into Besaid's waters, she ran like there was no tomorrow. Her world was turned upside down the moment she fell into Tidus' arms. The sound of his voice, the touch of his skin - he was finally home! As they ran back to the shore to reunite with Wakka, Lulu, and the rest of the villagers, her fingers easily slipped into his grip and she held onto him with all her strength.

"You've changed," he said from behind as they moved toward the shore. He was fascinated and curious of his lost love as he clasped her hand and followed behind.

"You've missed out on a few things," she replied grinning, pulling him in a hurry to get to the shore. Before he even had a chance to talk to Yuna, however, Wakka reeled him in for what would be the tightest hug in human history, causing him to almost choke in a frenzy.

"I can't believe you're finally back! What took you so long, eh?" He hit him on the arm jokingly. Tidus could do nothing but smile and take in the pleasant reality of returning to Spira again. He looked past Wakka and over at Lulu, who held Vidina in her arms. His eyes widened with surprise as he guessed at the red hair and dark eyes. He walked over to her, mouth agape.

"Huh? I can't believe it!" He screamed in excitement. "He looks just like Wakka!" Everyone laughed in merriment, including Lulu.

"It's good to have you back," she smiled.

"Come on!" Bellowed Wakka excitedly. "What are we waiting for? This calls for a celebration, ya? Aurochs! Where you at? We need some preparations." He ran off toward the village to start preparing for the festivities just as everyone began to follow his lead and head back. Tidus turned around looking for Yuna and saw her standing by the edge of the shore. With her arms crossed neatly behind her, she smiled and fixed her gaze on every inch of him. She wanted to commit every part of him to memory as best she could. He smiled at her and made his way over to where she stood.

"I can't believe you're finally home," she said, beaming so brightly she could've burst. He looked into her glimmering eyes, committing them to memory just the same. It took him a long while before he could utter a response.

"... I'm home," he said slowly after a moment, making sure it was real. After looking into the face of the one person in the world who made everything right for him, he broke all the formalities of being away for so long and swept her into his arms. She laughed and hugged him back as tight as she could, feeling her nerves tingle under his warm, silky skin. As they let each other go she looked into his eyes, certain to let those unforgettable cerulean jewels sink into memory. She couldn't help herself and began adorning him with loving kisses, circling all of his face until she arrived at his lips. He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her back just as tenderly, feeling his entire body pulsate as the world around him blurred away.

After their brief moment of bliss together, his eyes were fixed on every inch of her, noting all the changes within the past two years. She seemed so much more confident and comfortable with her life. He could see the sparkle in her eyes when she smiled at him, a smile absent of worry and unease and filled with content and happiness. But just as he noted all the changes she went through, he suddenly thought of how much time had already gone by. He slowly drew himself apart from her completely, his eyes averted to the ground in sudden thought. He turned and looked at the shining waters that glistened under the afternoon sun and walked over to the edge of the shore. Yuna stood behind, her gaze following each and every step he took.

"I got a theory," he said after a moment, wondering what had happened to him. "I think the fayth gathered up my thoughts and put them together to bring me back." He stretched his arms above his head and sighed. "Maybe. Something like that."

The ocean breeze blew softly, encumbering them in its summer grasp. Yuna listened to every word, taking each to thought. After a moment she looked at him and could see him looking down at his hands now. "Or maybe," he said in a low and even voice, "I'm still a dream."

"So you'll disappear?" She said as she looked at him, her face sullen. She lowered her head and looked at the ground now, trying her best not to think of it again. Not this time. All they heard was the everlasting breeze blowing through Besaid, breathless and cool. Her eyes were still fixed on the figure at the edge of the shore. After a moment he turned around and looked at her.

"Cherish me, Yuna," he said, his eyes gleaming with resolution. "And I'll cherish you." A moment of silence followed before he turned around to face Yuna. "All right? We gotta stay together. That's what we have to do." He turned back around and looked at the blue water that gently washed up onto the white sand, wetting his boots in the process. She smiled and ran up to him, wrapping her arms around his figure from behind.

"Is that what the fayth told you?" She asked, her embrace bringing him closer.

"Nah. But I like it," he said, smiling out to the horizon, placing his hands on top of her own, squeezing them tight. They stood on the edge of the pearly shore and held each other close until she began to laugh abruptly. He looked over at her sudden spurt of humor and began laughing himself, all the while taking in the reality that he was back. Back home at last. After a moment she suddenly pushed him into the water, smiling uncontrollably. He fell over and looked back up at her, soaking wet.

"Hey! That's not cherishing!" He said, trying to contort his expression from grinning. She looked down at him and smiled, taking him in, more thankful in this moment than in any other that he was still here and right in front of her.

"You didn't disappear," she said. He looked all around and then back up at her. They both smiled at each other, realizing this second chance. A chance they thought they would never see again. A chance they were both grateful for.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

Aw, he's finally back! Good ol' Tidus. For those of you who have played a perfect game, you know where that last part came in. It's somewhat of a spoiler but not so much only because I changed the location. Well, maybe it's as good a spoiler as any. And as for Gippal, Nooj and Baralai, since I love them so much, I'm definitely bringing them back into the picture soon enough. A lot will take place between Yuna's gang and theirs in due time.


End file.
